How Real Geeks Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas

Most of us have celebrated the “12 Days of Christmas” in some form or other, even if we were just kids and didn’t get what it was all about. Christmas is clearly fun: there’s delicious food, family, and presents, and the carol about the twelve days had numbers, images of everything from drummers to chickens, and repetition going for it.

The actual 12 days of Christmas are a European tradition that has roots going back to before the Middle Ages. Each of the twelve days was celebrated as a feast, and most of them honored a particular saint.

In addition to Christmas Day to observe the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, the 12 days of Christmas celebrated saints you might not have heard of, such as St. Thomas Becket, St. Egwin of Worcester, Pope Sylvester I, and St. Simon Stylites . . . a saint who lived on a small platform atop a pillar for 37 years!

The final day, traditionally known as “Twelfth Night,” was devoted to the largest celebration of all, intended to mark the end of winter. It was filled with fun, games, and plenty of roleplaying.

So why not revive this fun tradition and add a touch of geek to your party starting with creating your ideal geek tree? Here’s how to celebrate the geekiest possible 12 Days of Christmas:

Day 1 (Christmas Day): Host a Lego-themed party

If you and your friends were thrilled to get Legos for Christmas when you were kids, you could recall those days by hosting a Lego-themed Christmas party.

Day 2: Bake Star Wars cookies

Who wouldn’t want to take a bite out of R2D2? Get some Star Wars-shaped cookie cutters and decorating supplies. You and your friends can recreate your favorite scenes as you enjoy sugary treats. Don’t forget to do the sound effects!

Day 3: Yo-yo in public

Grab your yo-yo, gear up in your favorite Christmas suit, and head to a busy corner. Presto, you are now a street performer! Yes, by yo-yoing on the corner, you’ve joined the ranks of people who paint themselves silver and pretend to be statues. And you’ll be more interesting than they are.

Celebrating the creation of one of the world’s enduringly cool toys is the most fun when you can do some tricks. Check out yo-yo expert Paul Kerbel’s video tutorial (with slow motion) which demonstrates how to do the Clockwise Bind. His channel has plenty of other tutorials if that trick proves to be too difficult.

If you’re into being a comedian, perhaps you don’t need to learn any tricks. You could stand on a corner, make a spectacle of yourself, and make people laugh. Someone may even feel bad for you and offer to teach you.

Day 4: Be a Harry Potter character for the day

The best way to celebrate Harry Potter is to become one of the characters.

Day 5: Bake a cake with prizes inside

You know that old RAM you’ve got lying around? Sanitize it and stick it in a cake (after you’ve baked it). When you serve the cake, whoever finds the RAM gets to be king for the day.

Day 6: Live-Action Role-Play Super Mario Brothers

LARP isn’t just for vampires, and it’s no fun unless you corral innocent bystanders. Thanks to trendy teens, you can pick up a Mario Bros. costume on Amazon and roam the streets jumping over boulders and declaring 1-ups when people give you a high-five.

Day 7: Host a Xena: Warrior Princess party

Bring back the fight against ruthless Warlords by hosting a Xena-themed party. The catch is, everyone must do a warrior cry to get in the door.

Day 8: Play Xbox all day

You might already do this, but make the eighth day of geek Christmas official by staying in your footed pajamas and don’t let anyone pry that controller out of your hands … because you’re celebrating.

Day 9: Throw a Lord of the Rings treasure hunt

Set up a treasure hunt for a ring with clues that don’t make sense. Lead people in circles all around your house, the yard, or the park. Don’t actually hide the ring anywhere; tie it around your neck and tuck it into your shirt. See if anyone stops to consider the obvious.

Day 10: Master Rubik’s Cube

You’re not a geek until you can solve Rubik’s Cube. You’ve got 24 hours. Go!

Day 11: Keep a Tamagotchi alive for the day

It wasn’t easy in the 90s, but if you can master the art of keeping a Tamagotchi alive for a day, you win some serious cred.

Day 12: Sleep to celebrate sleeping

By the end of the 12 Days of Geek Christmas, you’re going to be exhausted. Take the final day to celebrate your appreciation for sleep. You’ve earned it.